A Betrayal, A Misguided Move Or Just Out Of Desperation?

The visit to the labour court recently was in fact the first in my career so far. I was there to answer a charge by an ex-colleague, AM who alleged that my employer had wrongly dismissed him and the notice of resignation tendered as evidence of his resignation had nothing to do with him at all. Although we hardly meet each other, my impression of AM is an honest, simple frail-looking man in his sixties who had served my employer for close to eleven years. He had demanded compensation for pay in lieu of notice and termination benefits. During the mention when the charge was read, I insisted that AM had in fact tendered his resignation and not dismissed as what he had claimed. Although too early for submissions to be made, the labour officer however took the trouble to hear stories from both sides.

I explained that AM, being illiterate had requested the assistance of a colleague to draft a resignation letter as a guide for him to prepare one of his own. His immediate superior subsequently read out and explained the content of the draft, the process which was witnessed by a third colleague. AM apparently took the draft home, presumably for his further reference or action. The very same draft was however submitted by him to his immediate superior the following day but this time, bearing a signature which I was not in the position to verify as his. I argued that AM cannot deny that the notice of resignation was not his even though nobody had seen him signing the draft. Further, he had the whole day to study the implication of the letter suggesting that he was not under any duress to resign at all. Witnesses were then called to support the argument.

After some coaxing from this head of department, AM admitted that he had indeed signed and submitted the notice which he couldn't figure out the implication of his act. He still loves his job very much but due to the distance from his home to the new workplace assigned to him recently, he had no choice but to stop work as he has no mean of transportation and is also not in the position to bear the extra expenditure. Agreeing that he may not be entitled to any payment of compensation, AM however appealed for some gratuity on ground of goodwill which was supported by the labour officer citing his current poor financial position and advanced age.

I clarified that the relocation is out of no choice since the previous workplace is no longer available due to the completion of project. Further, AM has not been subjected to any unfair treatment as his working hours, position as well as wages are practically unaffected. The relocation had in fact affected all other employees and AM's new workplace is not unduly far, apparently still within the same municipal boundary.

I contended that AM's action has brought adverse effect to the employer's reputation but as a colleague to him for years, I could refer his request for the management's consideration. Gut feeling tells me that on his own, AM is incapable of such action as it is not his nature to do so unless he had been misled, which AM had surprisingly denied. Maybe it could be owing to financial pressure but AM told that he had got another job near his home which pays him more than what he had received previously despite his advanced age.

Anyway, I went back disillusioned pondering what prompted this man's thought and action but nevertheless still glad that the allegation has been set aside and in term of life experience, I'm now slightly wiser.

Spooked by the latest robbery in the neighbourhood

Last Saturday's robbery send down chills of fear among the residents of the semi-detached neighbourhood of Taman Universiti in Johor Bahru. Robberies are thought to be incidents of the past in this rather peaceful township of over 60,000 in view of the absence of such cases for some time, this event soon become the latest hot topic of coffee-shops talk.

The robbery took place in the early morning at around 6.30 am at a home located along Jalan Kebangsaan 8 as the owner was waiting at the car porch for a ride with his brother for their daily trip to their Singapore's workplace. A group of men armed with 'parangs', believed to be of dark complexion stormed him by surprise by climbing over the gate and forced him back into his house. The rests are history but fortunately, the incident has not been marred by injury or loss of lives. What shook the residents was that the incident did not occur during odd hours or at an isolated place. As a matter of fact, children ply this street on daily basis to reach the nearby mosque from the hostel of their Islamic boarding school located just a couple of houses away at around the same time of the incident. This is further compounded by the fact that a senior police officer is staying just next door, his home signified by a large sign 'POLIS' hanged to the gate. In other words, these robbers are desperados, having no regards to the surroundings when committing the crime or maybe they are just faithful believers of the notion 'the most dangerous place is actually the safest place'.

What has gone wrong in our society? To many, incidents of such are merely given mild attention as one of the many hapennings around the country that contributes to the national statistics until when it actually happens so near to your doorsteps. Accusations have been levelled at the police force for their incompetence in eradicating the rampaging crimes only to be replied with a less convincing answer 'understaffed'. Notably, criminals are getting bolder and bolder when carrying out their modus operandi as they get more and more desperate by the days contributing to the ever increasing crime rates.

Many factors could have contributed to these phenomena, many in the sense are self-creation such as: -

1. Rise in betting activities particularly during this ongoing world cup season where people have greater tendencies to burglar or rob for quick bucks to settle their mounting debts from losing bets;
2. Endless attractive avenues are now available for gambling activities, be it legal or otherwise ranging from the basic visits to the casinos/betting outlets to the more sophisticated Internet gamblings;
3. Heavy clampdown on the underground DVD/VCDs trades resulting in massive loss of jobs among the peddlers who resort to committing crimes for alternative source of incomes;
4. Adverse effect of globalisation resulting in shift of manufacturing bases to other countries with cheaper cost resulting in aplenty loss of jobs affecting mostly the less educated group consisting mostly of migrants from smaller towns and rural areas to the city to earn a living;
5. Influx of illegal immigrants from neigbouring countries hoping for a share of the pie of the country's national economic development which is now getting more and more challenging in view of the increase in population (from both the legitimates and the illegal immigrants) as well as the tougher climate for economic growth;
6. Diminishing social values particularly amoung the younger generation stemming from the very basic problems of upbringing their children as parents could not afford to spend more time with their kids as much as they would like as in the past due to difficulty coping with the economic constraints;
7. Cheap and easier access to movies which tend to glamourise triads activities and crimes resulting in wrong social values being imparted to the young;
8. Abundant availability of unlicensed lending services offered by the unscrupulous Ah Longs at astonishing rates using high handed means to recover debts from defaulters compounding the tendency of these desperados to commit crimes to settle their debts;
9. Escalating financial pressures on the wage earners from the increase in the cost of living owing to the inflationary effects from the recent hikes in cost of fuels and utilities onto the other basic goods and services; and
10. Ill effects from the uncontrolled exposure of modern technology such as the Internet onto the younger generation.

Can you think of more?

CHINESE WEDDING DINNER - WHY CAN'T IT BE...?

The one last Sunday was no different from the many that I had attended before. We finally got our first bite at 8.45 pm although dinner was supposed to start at 7 pm as printed on the invitation card. So starved, we 'cleaned up' the first serving of 'cold dish' almost instantly. Although delays are already expected, I still wonder why Chinese wedding dinner cannot starts as scheduled. I wonder whether is it necessary for dinner to be so time-consuming such that it is almost midnight by the time you got home. I ponder whether you are guilty of grumbling to yourself whenever being handed such 'summonses'. I supposed you had fretted before over the larger 'hole' to your pocket the moment you think of the amount of 'angpow' that you plan to give; the new dress, shoes and hairdo that you will be buying as though you are going for complete makeover; and so forth in order to attend a Chinese wedding dinner. As though you are the one getting married, you further suffer from insomnia for days prior to the function over the potential ordeals befalling you on how the rests will perceive you; who will you be meeting there; whom you will be sitting with as well as to what you should be conversing on. If you dread attending such funtion, why not consider one of these reasons or rather 'excuses' before accepting the invitation. Of course, you should first ask the host when that big day is before pretending that it coincides with the excuse you will be tendering. Bear in mind, you usually cannot avoid giving 'angpow' but you are still entitled to some 'discount'. "So sorry, I'll be on an outstation assignment on that day" "Ah yah, my 'so and so' is getting married on that day too" "I will be outstation/overseas for holidays" If you insist on not giving any 'angpow' at all, you could quote "I wish I could go but it would be inauspicious to 'clash' with your big day because my 'so and so' (make sure it is someone very, very close) is marrying on that day". Alternatively, you may quote "Frankly speaking, I could not attend your big day as my 'so and so' (also someone very, very close who had already passed away) is dying around that period of time" as a last resort only. Well, supposedly you have no choice but to attend such function, you resign to the fact that you will have to wait endlessly for your dinner to be served. The recourse is to arrive late, say 8.00 to 8.30 pm and be a 'hero' of the day as one of those responsible for delaying the start of the dinner, provided of course you are 'Mr Somebody'. Also, remember to have a seat reserved for you if possible or else, the 'torture' of being alone at the same table with total strangers would be so unbearable that you would rather 'flee' midway or alternatively, visit the washroom as often as you could. There has been numerous excuses offered by guests as well as from the hosts for being late or starting the dinner late respectively, such as" - Guests Caught in the traffic jam (although it is on a weekend!) I do not want to be labeled a 'Kiasu' (one who is so afraid of losing to others) Can't find a parking lot My car's tyre was punctured while on the way here Misplace the invitation card, so I do not know when the dinner actually starts Hosts Guests arriving late, so we cannot start yet Allow time for guests to mingle around and catch up with old times The bride is 'stucked' in the traffic jam The bride has trouble fitting into her gown which she successfully did so 2 weeks ago The bride has 'absconded' The groom is too drunk In respect of the 'angpow', there seems to be market rates depending on the venue of the wedding dinner; your relationship with the host; your motive for giving a particular sum and so forth. Generally, 'angpow' will costs more if the dinner is held in a hotel as compared to a restaurant. The amount will be higher in line with the number of 'stars' attained by the hotel. The 'angpow' may again be varied by the type of foods served by the host during the dinner. It is not surprising that sometimes, the host will gives you 'hints' of how much a table would costs him so that his invitees would know the quantum of 'angpow' to be 'contributed'. 'Angpow' would cost you more if you are related to the host than just an ordinary friend. Does it occur to you when certain relative whom you have never heard or seen before suddenly turn up at your door step extending invitation to you which leave you wondering the ultimate intention of such invitation. Occasionally, you may be prompted to give 'angpow' higher than the norm expecting the other party to reciprocate when it is your turn to invite in the future. What deem as an appropriate amount for 'angpow' is still very much uncertain but as a general guide, try giving at least 20% to 30% more that what would cost the host to take into consideration the soft drinks. Well, if you are a drinker (I meant alcoholic drinks like beers, wine or hard liquor), make sure your 'angpow' commensurate with the volume and type of the drinks consumed. Remember not to get drunk, otherwise the consequence would be disastrous. Also, 'angpow' must be given in auspicious figures or else the host will be hostile to you. Attending wedding dinners could spell disaster to certain categories of people such as: - The spinsters - who are the targets of the 'aunties' bombarding them with sensitive questions like "when is your turn to get married?"; "how come still no eligible suitors yet?"; "come on, do not be so choosy"; "bear in mind, your 'value' is no longer sustainable anymore like those younger days" Victims of rumor mongers - you will be so embarrassed, ridiculed or even mocked if you are spotted bringing along your baby by those who had attended your own wedding held less that 9 months ago (you know what I meant by 'short-gun' pregnancy) Sufferers of inferiority/superiority complex - your appetite for the evening would be so bad just because somebody (including the bride) dress better or has more jewels than you Victims of broken marriage - I'm sure nobody wants to be reminded of the unhappy days in the past Introverts - those with very high tendencies of 'fleeing' the dinner midway Despite the above, attending Chinese wedding dinner could be still a pleasant one if we all have in mind the welfare and concern for the hosts and the guests as well. Here are my wish lists for all wedding dinners which I hope wil be a reality if not in the near future: - Start Early, End Early (at least allow us some time to digest the food before we call it a day Go for buffet instead (CHEAP, FAST & SIMPLE) Try organising outdoor for a change (easier to mingle around, less elaborate and more informal for everybody) Save the trouble to toast YAM-SENG from table to table (pity the bride and spare a thought for the bridegroom - he has heavy responsibility later in the evening, OK!) Forget the KARAOKE (stop prolonging the dinner and torturing our ears) Cut down the present 8-course dinner (do you realise the amount of wastage after every such dinner?)

CHINA'S QUILIN : MESMERISED BY ITS NATURAL BEAUTY AND TRANQUILITY

My maiden trip to China, not without cautions from friends and relatives having numerous bad experiences before. I was told of toilet that stinks beyond your imagination; do not feel guilty at all when you bargain; the locals speak so loud just like soccer coach screaming down instructions to his boys; they spit right in front of you as though you are invisible; and so forth. Having that in mind, my first day was already besieged with news that my Indo live-in maid had 'absconded' while I was on transit at the KLIA. What a day to start with, I mourned. After a 4 hours flight, we put up a night at the Quilin's Sheraton after a sumptous dinner. In the morning of day 2, we were greeted with scenes of locals busy with their daily tai-jis. We soon arrived at the Crown Cave, a majestic limestones structure. To reach the entrance, we took a 'car' ride up which was so cool, similar to a roller coaster except we dictate our own speed. Do you find a camel at the background of the picture above? Day 3 - Set off for Yangshuo by coach where we then took a cruise down the Li Jiang river which brought us to the magnificent view of mountains of various shapes that will stay in our memory forever. Interestingly, we also found that the local fishermen fish with the assistance of a bird minus the net, of course. In the evening, we watched a musical performance " Liu San Zie" choreographed by the famous director, Zhang Yi Mou. It was almost a shopping day on day 4, where we visited the jade showroon followed by a silk factory. We were given an educational tour around the premise to experience the process of turning worms to beautiful silk which ended with models showcassing the many designs of the factory. The day ended with another visit to the Shangrila Resort before we returned to Quilin for a night. Long Sheng was our next destination on day 5 where we were subjected to gruelling coach ride for almost 6 hours on winding mountainous roads. This was followed by another tracking by foot up a hill of 880 metres for an hour or so. All these hardships were quickly forgotten when we were feted with magnificent view of terraced rice fields erected by farmers from the hilltop. We finally checked into the Maryland Theme Park and Hotel Resort, one of the many Taiwanese's investments in the mainland China. It was free and easy on day 6 where we practically had the whole theme park to ourselves since the crowd was rather small on a weekday. On day 7, we checked out from the Maryland to return back to Quilin where again, were given the last opportunity to empty our pocket before flying home tommorrow. This time, we were brought to a pharmaceutical factory known for its melon frost and another crystal showroom. Then, we had foot reflexology and body massage to refresh our aching and battered body which was of course, at our own expense. Not forgetting our family and friends at home, we bought souveniers and foodstuffs which finally saw all the remaining money left in possession cleared. The night ended late busy packing all the things bought for the past few days. On the final day 8, we managed to squueze a short visit to the Elephant Trunk Hill before dashing to the airport for another 4 hours flight back to KL bringing home sweet memories of Quilin but poorer by a couple thousand ringgits of hard earned money.

Is Life At Work Really Better Than In Prison ?

I came accross this article and would like to share it for reading pleasure. Space In prison, you spend the majority of your time in an 8 by 10 cell, BUT At work, you spend most of your time in a 6 by 8 cubicle Meal In prison, you get 3 meals a day and they are FREE, BUT At work, you only get a break for 1 meal and you have to pay for it yourself Reward In prison, you get time off for good behaviour, BUT At work, you get reward for good behaviour with extra works Security In prison, the guard will lock and unlock the doors for you, BUT At work, you mucy carry a security tag to unlock and open all the doors yourself Recreation In prison, you can watch TV and play games, BUT At work, you get FIRED for watching TV and playing games Toilet In prison, you get your own toilet, BUT At work, you have to share the toilet with others Freedom In prison, they allow your family and friends to visit, BUT At work, you can't even speak to them Expenses In prison, all expenses are paid for by taxpayers with no work at all, BUT At work, you get to pay all the expenses to go to work and tax is being deducted from the salary to pay for the prisoners' expenses Wish In prison, you spend most of your life looking through the bars from inside wanting to get out, BUT At work, you spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside the bars Hmmm... Which One Sounds Better?